Tripod type jack assembly

ABSTRACT

A tripod type pipe jack assembly or support device including camming means functioning - when activated - to maintain the legs in their folded side-by-side relation with the body of the jack thereby rendering the assembly easier to transport and store.

United States Patent 1191 3,741,50 Kelly June 26, 1973 [54] TRIPOD TYPE JACK ASSEMBLY 2,532,168 11/1950 Jakoubek 248/354 S 2,587,511 2/1952 Nerman 248/168 [76] Lmme Kelly 166111 2,7051 19 3/1955 Ingwer 248/412 Street, NOW/31k, Cahf- 90650 3,480,250 11/1969 Hankins ..-248/161 [22] Filed: June 10, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [21] Appl. No.: 151,812 503,098 3/1939 Great Britain 248/171 Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr. [52] U.S. Cl 248/171, 248/55,2ig/83/5121S, Atwmey Hamld L Fox [51] Int. Cl F16m 11/38 [58] Field of Search 254/100, 98, DIG. 1; [57] ABSTRACT 248/49, 55, 169, 171, 405 A tripod type ack assembly or support device including camming means functioning when activated 5 R f r Cited to maintain the legs in their folded side-by-side relation UNITED STATES PATENTS with the body of the ack thereby rendering the assem- 1 bly easier to transport and store. 577,955 3/1897 Hearttagen 248/170 2,502,667 4/1950 Pagett .L 248/170 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TRIPOD TYPE JACK ASSEMBLY The invention relates to pipe jacks or support devices and more particularly to a tripod type jack assemblies including camming means functioning to retain the legs thereof in their folded position, adjacent the body portion thereof, rendering the jack easier to transport and store.

To the best of Applicants knowledge devices of the present type are not obtainable on todays market. Previous devices of the tpe disclosed herein present problems, especially in connection with transportation and storage thereof. Normally jacks of the type referred to are of rigid construction and, therefore, considered expendable because of difficulties experienced in space required in moving them from one job to another and also because of storage problems encountered in a storage facility.

Accordingly it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a tripod type pipe jack assembly or support device incorporating camming means functioning to maintain the legs in side-by-side relation with the body portion of the jack, thereby rendering it easier to transport and store.

Another object is to provide a tripod type jack assembly with foldable legs in which one may be used in carrying it from one location to another.

Another object is to provide a tripod'type pipe jack assembly constructed sufficiently rigid to withstand any weight it is expected to support.

Although the characteristic features of the present invention are particularly pointed'out in the appended claims, the invention itself, also the manner in which it may be carried out, will be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tripod pipe jack assembly of the type disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the tripod type jack assembly disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the jack assembly of FIG. 1 in its folded position.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the collar or camming means of the jack assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing for a preferred embodiment of the pipe jack assembly'of the type disclosed herein, the subject pipe jack llis shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The jack is caused to assume a folded'position, as shown in FIG. 3, this position to be described as the disclosure progresses. Principal components of the jack assembly 11 include body and elevating portions l2.and 14, spider-like member 16- and collar 17, and leg member 18,

19, and 21, respectively.

The body portion 12 constitutes a length of hollow tubing 22 of cylindrical configuration on which thespider member 16 is received and has a sliding fit on the member 12. The member 16 is secured in a plurality of positions on the tube 12 by means of a set screw 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Equally spaced around the mmeber 16 are leg holding members to which the legs 18, 19 and 21 are attached substantially as shown in FIG. 1. It will be seen that the upper wall of the member 16 has three rectnagular notches 23 provided therein. The notches 23 provide a firm footing for the upper end of the legs 18, 19 and 21 on the tube 22. In this respect the upper ends of the legs 18, 19 and 21 carry seating members 24 which are contoured to the shape of the member 12 and, therefore, provide a firm footing on the tube 22. It will be noticed that the side edges of the notches 23 also provide support and alignment for the legs 18, 19 and 21 at such time as the legs are in their extended position as the members 24 are received and bottomed in the notches 23 at this time as will be apparent from FIG. 2.

The elevating portion 14 of the jack 11 also constitutes a length of pipe or tubing 26 the outside diameter of which allows it to be telescopically received in the tube 22 and provides a sliding fit therein. The tube 26 carries a threaded cross member 27 at its upper end. The threaded rod 28 is received in the threaded portion of the elevating member 14 providing means for elevating or depressing the pipe 29 which lies in a pipecarrying angle 31 fixed to the top of rod 28. A pair of rollers 30 is mounted in the angle 31 by axle pins 32 and provides means for carrying the pipe assembly 29.

Details of the collar member 17 are shown in FIG. 4 and constitutes generally a hollow cylindrical tube 38. The collar 17 includes three notches 33 of rectangular configuration formed therein substantially as shown in FIG. 4. The notches 33 span the gusset plates 34 at the upper end of the legs l8, l9 and 21, when the latter are in their extended positions. The inside diameter of the collar 17 is such that it is received in surrounding and rotating relation around the notched portions of the spider-like member 16 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. Extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the collar 17, and adjacent the lower edges thereof, are camming means 36 which are received in notches 37 provided in the gussets 34 and function to hold the legs 18, 19 and 21 in their folded positions as best seen in FIG. 3'. It will be apparent that the collar 17 serves two purposes; first, it functions to hold the legs in their folded position as best seen in FIG. 3 and second, it functions to stabilize and hold the legs 18, 19 and 21 firmly in their open position as best seen in FIG. 1.

Accordingly it is seen that a tripod type pipe jack assembly is disclosed which is rigid and firm in its extended position including camming means enabling the jack to be transported and stored while requiring a minimum of space. It will also be apparent that the jack 11 may be picked up by one leg and hand carried from one location to another when in its folded position, the camming means 36 making this feature possible. It will also be apparent that the jack 11 is of sufficiently strong and rigid construction enabling it to withstand any load required.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tripod type jack adapted to elevate or depress a pipe assembly thereon, the combination comprising:

a. a lower body member and an upper elevating member constituting hollow cylindrical members having a telescoping relation with respect to each other adapted to support a pipe assebly thereon;

b. a spider-like member having a surrounding relation with respect to said body member;

c. leg members pivotally attached to said spider-like member by gusset plates equally spaced around the periphery of said spider-like member, said legs being movable between extended and folded positions and functioning to maintain the jack in upright attitude at such time as they are in their extended position;

said gusset plates having a camming groove provided therein;

camming means comprising a hollow cylindrical collar having a surrounding and sliding relation on said body member, said collar having three equally 5 spaced camming surfaces extending normal to the axis of said collar and positioned to be received in said camming grooves when said legs are in their folded position, thereby forcing and maintaining said legs in their folded position in side-by-side relation with respect to said body member.

. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1:

in which the upper end of said spider-like member contains three rectangular notches;

. the upper ends of said leg members having rectangular members on the ends thereof adapted to be received in said notches occupying the entire space provided by said notches;

c. the inner end of said seating members being contoured to the configuration of said body member thereby providing firm footing for said legs;

d. and said inside diameter of said collar exceeding the outside diameter of said spider-like member whereby the inner ends of said legs and the upper portion of said spider-like member are incircled in surrounding relation by said collar thereby locking said legs in their extended positions.

3. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1:

a. said elevating member including a rod portion and a lower supporting tube portion;

b. said tube portion including a threaded cross memher at the top thereof;

0. said rod portion being threaded and mating with said cross member;

(1. and said rod portion having pipe supporting means at the top thereof which may be elevated or depressed by rotating said cross member. 

1. In a tripod type jack adapted to elevate or depress a pipe assembly thereon, the combination comprising: a. a lower body member and an upper elevating member constituting hollow cylindrical members having a telescoping relation with respect to each other adapted to support a pipe assebly thereon; b. a spider-like member having a surrounding relation with respect to said body member; c. leg members pivotally attached to said spider-like member by gusset plates equally spaced around the periphery of said spider-like member, said legs being movable between extended and folded positions and functioning to maintain the jack in upright attitude at such time as they are in their extended position; d. said gusset plates having a camming groove provided therein; e. camming means comprising a hollow cylindrical collar having a surrounding and sliding relation on said body member, said collar having three equally spaced camming surfaces extending normal to the axis of said collar and positioned to be received in said camming grooves when said legs are in their folded position, thEreby forcing and maintaining said legs in their folded position in side-by-side relation with respect to said body member.
 2. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1: a. in which the upper end of said spider-like member contains three rectangular notches; b. the upper ends of said leg members having rectangular members on the ends thereof adapted to be received in said notches occupying the entire space provided by said notches; c. the inner end of said seating members being contoured to the configuration of said body member thereby providing firm footing for said legs; d. and said inside diameter of said collar exceeding the outside diameter of said spider-like member whereby the inner ends of said legs and the upper portion of said spider-like member are incircled in surrounding relation by said collar thereby locking said legs in their extended positions.
 3. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1: a. said elevating member including a rod portion and a lower supporting tube portion; b. said tube portion including a threaded cross member at the top thereof; c. said rod portion being threaded and mating with said cross member; d. and said rod portion having pipe supporting means at the top thereof which may be elevated or depressed by rotating said cross member. 